Starting in December of 1981, Melvin Seals became the organist for the Jerry Garcia Band. Not long after their separation upon Jerry Garcia’s passing in 1995, Melvin reconvened some of the old members to form JGB. Over 15 years later Melvin continues on with a group of musicians who have each devoted large parts of their careers to Grateful Dead-related bands and entertainment.
Twiddle 5/18
Twiddle has started a frenzy on both coasts with complexities that conjure up Coltrane, Ranglin, and Zappa, yet still embrace the roots of Jam traditions. Finally a group of virtuoso musicians who not only understand climactic build and release, but deliver their intricate compositions night after night to jazz purists and screaming fans, all at the same time.
Lucid 5/19
Lucid’s music is incredibly diverse, playing with fresh takes on multiple genres from blues and jazz to rock, ska and hip-hop. They’ve managed to incorporate their myriad influences into an innovative new style that attracts fans from a wide range of musical backgrounds. Lucid’s enlivening, powerful performances energize concert goers from open to encore. Their songs remain structurally tight and carefully woven, distinguishing them from their jam band counterparts. Still, they’re unpredictable in nature, with a knack for improv and a talent for delivery.
The Slide Brothers 5/17
The Slide Brothers will open up the weekend on Friday, members consisting of Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell, Darick Campbell and Aubrey Ghent–the greatest living musicians who embody the Sacred Steel tradition. The joyous music these legendary artists create extends far beyond scared steel to encompass blues, rock and soul all celebrated with a sound that is uniquely their own.
The pedal steel guitar was introduced to church services by Willie Eason in the 1930’s. His single-string passages, which imitated the African-American singing and shouting voices, remain the signature sound of the Keith Dominion steel guitar style. The goal of a skilled steel player in church is to use the guitar to mimic voices, to ‘sing’ lines of the hymns and to provide praise music that pushes the congregation closer to feeling the Holy Spirit. This church-bred style of high energy electrified slide remains today an integral part of the worship service wherever the faithful gather.
Despite its role in church services, this dynamic, high energy music had never been heard outside of church. As a new century dawned, rumors of an extraordinary new form of slide guitar began to attract interest among blues fans who long favored the electrified sound of slide guitar masters such as Elmore James and Duane Allman. Where the music of Muddy Waters or the Allman Brothers showcased traditional six string slide guitar, critics and fans alike were jolted by the an even more potent brand of slide guitar being performed on pedal steel instruments. As the center core of the Sacred Steel movement was its artistic purity. Ted Beard, Calvin Cooke, Aubrey Ghent and other pedal steel icons within the church had fostered a rich, uniquely American art form unspoiled by commercialism.
Robert Randolph has become the most successful artist to emerge from the Sacred Steel tradition. Randolph was trained as a pedal steel guitarist in the House of God Church and his dynamic use of the instrument has earned him international acclaim. Randolph’s mission is to share the extraordinary talents of these legendary masters with audiences throughout the world. Together with Co-Producer John McDermott, Randolph has readied the group’s debut album for release by Concord Records later this year.
